Loading device for locomotive-tenders.



N0. 669,780. Patente'd Mar. l2, IQDI. W. G. FULLER &. W. A. THDLEN.LOADING DEVICE FOR L'OCOMOTIVE TENDERS.

(Application filed Hair. 6, 1900. (No Model.) 7 2 Sheets8heet l.

mar/($772086): {121/ m5 norms PEYEHB c0. 'HOTQ-UTMO" WASHINGTON. n c,

Patented Mar. I2, 1901. w. a. FULLER & w. A. THULEN. v LOADING DEVICEFOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDERS.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1900.} (No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 2.

llnrrizn STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM G. FULLER AND WILLIAM A. THOLEN, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

LOADING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE-TENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,780, dated March12, 1901. Application filed arch 5, 1900. Serial No. 7,318. kllo model.)

To all whom 711; may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM G. FULLER and WILLIAM A. TI-IOLEN, citizensof the United States, residing at the city of Leavenworth, county ofLeavenworth, State of Kansas, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Loading Devices for L0 comotive-Tenders, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan View of ourimproved loading device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1.Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the upper end of the derrick-post,showing the manner in which the guide-rods carried by the derrick-armcooperate with the guide-posts. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of theapparatus. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asectional view on line 5 5, Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of oneof the sprocket-wheels and its cooperating pawl-and-ratchet mechanism,and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the dog.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a device forloading the tenders of locomotives with coal, water, wood, &c., theobject being to provide a device of the character described wherein thepower medium for lifting the load is the locomotive itself. The deviceis designed to be arranged in juxtaposition to a track and has suitablemeans for cooperating with the locomotive or engine whereby power may beimparted to a hoisting-drum and the load elevated through a suitablederrick or crane and swung over the tender of the locomotive, where theload may be discharged. Suitable levers are provided for controlling thedescent of the empty car carrying the load, and hand-brakes are arrangedfor cooperating with said cars, said hand-brakes being on suitabletracks, as will hereinafter appear.

Heretofore in coaling engines stations have been provided wherecoal-chutes are built, and where the chutes are in coal districts themined coal is delivered directly into the chutes and thence dischargedinto the tender. The conditions here are favorable to loading the tenderof a locomotive with coal;

but in outlying coaling-stations or isolated stations where coal has tobe handled it has been the practice heretofore to build inclined sidetracks running up and over the bins of the chute, so that the loadedcoal-cars can be run up and discharge their contents directly into thebins, and from the bins chuted into the locomotive-tenders. The initialcost of these stations is considerable, as the inclination of the trackascending to the top of the bins has to be small enough to permit thecars to be pushed up easily, and therefore the inclined track is ofconsiderable length and usually built on trestle-work, which of courserequires constant repairs and renewals. By the use of our invention themachinery is practically located underground and out of the way, andpower to drive the hoistingdrum is derived from the locomotive whosetender is to be loaded. The ordinary coalcars carrying coal to thestation can be unloaded on the ground, in a yard, or into handtrucks,which are moved about on suitable tracks at will.

In the drawings, Aindicates the rails, forming the track on which thelocomotive runs. This locomotive, as is usual, is providedwith a tender.Neither of these are shown in the drawings, as their construction iswell understood.

B indicates sprocket-wheels preferably arranged in a pit intermediatethe rails A, said wheels being loosely mounted on shafts O and C,journaled in suitable bearings securedto the framework around the pit.

D indicates an endless chain passing around the sprockets, the pintles dof whose links are preferably extended laterally from alternate linksfor cooperating with a dog E. The construction of this dogis best shownin Fig. 7, wherein it will be seen to consist of a body portion whoselower face is grooved to receive the chain D, the depending flangesbeing notched for the reception of a pintle of said chain. The dog alsois preferably mounted on rollers e, which run upon metallic plates 0.,arranged intermediate the rails A. This dog is formed with seats 6 inits upper face for cooperating with the pilot-nose of the engine, and bythis construction the chain is driven; When the dog reaches the end ofits movement, it falls into the ends of the pit in which thesprocket-wheels are arranged, and thus the engine is disconnected fromthe chain.

F indicates a hoisting-drum mounted on the shaft 0, and around which iswound a cable G, said cable extending up through a hollow derrick-postII and over suitable sheaves to the end of the armh. This derrick-postHis preferably mounted on ball-bearings, so that it can readily beturned by hand, and its upper end is braced by suitable guy-rods, as iswell understood. The arm h carries guide-rods I, preferably bent atright angles and secured thereto and to the post H, the vertical membersof which rods serve to guide the load-carrier or car-body J, suspendedfrom the end of the cable G. This body J when elevated rests against thevertical members of the rods I, and is thereby prevented from turningortwisting. The bottom of this body J is preferably inclined, and onepanel is hinged so as to be open to discharge its load into the tenderof the engine when in proper position.

Posts K cooperate with the rods I for guiding and preventing the body Jfrom twisting or turning in its vertical movement to and from its truckL. Truck L is mounted on a track, and in practice there are a number ofthese trucks, with suitable switching facilities, so that when a truckis emptied it maybe carried off and another loaded truck introduced inits place im mediately,so that a loaded body J is always in readiness todischarge its contents into the tender, and thus save the time usuallyconsumed at coaling-stations. A swinging handle h is arranged at thebase of the derrick-post and is designed to cooperate with suitablenotches to hold said post firmly in position when its arm is out or in,as the case may be. We also prefer to providealock for this handle, toprevent the derrick being swung by unauthorized persons. The posts Kalso cooperate with the guiderods I to limit the inward swingingmovement of the derrick-arm, and these parts are so constructed thatthey offer no obstruction to the vertical movement of the body J whichwould in any way interfere with the proper operation of the device. Themanner in which the guide-rods I cooperate with the upper ends of theguide-posts K is shown in Figs. 2 and 2, wherein it will be seen thatthe posts K are of unequal lengths, the near post (shown in Fig. 2) andthe post on the left (shown in Fig. 2) being the shorter. The guide-rodsare so bent at the junction of their vertical and horizontal portionsthat, when the derrick-arm is swung from its position over the trackback out of the way of the passing train the first guide-rod I passesover the top of the shorter post K and comes in contact with the upperend of the long post. The second rod I also comes in contact with theshorter post simultaneously, and in this manner the two guiderods Iarrest the inward swinging movement of the derrick-arm and servepractically as continuations of the guide-posts K. It is only necessarythat one guide-rod I shall pass over or above the shorter guide-rod K.

We have stated that the hoisting-drum around which the cable G is woundand unwound is mounted on the shaft 0, on which shaft is also mountedone of the sprocket wheels B. We also stated that both sprocketwheelsare mounted loosely on their respective shafts O and G. We will nowdescribe how motion imparted to the chain in either direction willrotate the drum in one direction only.

The shafts O and C have ratchet-wheels M and M fixed thereon and injuxtaposition to the sprocket-wheels. m and m indicate spring-pressedpawls mounted on the sprockets B for cooperating with the ratchets M andM, respectively. This ratchet and pawl mechanism is preferably inclosedin housings 19, secured to the sprocketwvheels, for the purpose ofkeeping out water, dirt, &c. N and N are miter-gears fixed to the shaftsO and C,

respectively, with which mesh miter-gears on the ends of a shaft- O. Itwill be noticed that the ratchets M and M are arranged on diametricallyopposite sides of their sprockets and that their cooperating pawlsextend in opposite directions. If the ratchets were arranged on the sameside of the sprocketwheel, their teeth would be cut so that the pawlscooperating therewith would be disposed in the same direction. By thisconstruction when the block E on the chain D is moved so as to lock thepawl m with the ratchet on shaft 0 said shaft will be directly driven ina given direction. Miter-gearing will impart an opposite rotation to theshaft 0 and the sprocketB,and the shaftC becomes an idler under theseconditions, and the pawl M rides idly over its cooperating ratchet M. Ifmotion is imparted to the chain D in the opposite direction, pawl m islocked in the teeth of ratchet M, so that shaft 0 now becomes thedriving-shaft and rotates the shaft 0', through the miter-gearing, inthe same direction it was before rotated when directly driven by thepawl m. When shaft 0 becomes the driving-shaft, the pawl m rides idlyover its cooperating ratchet M. It will thus be seen that no matter inwhat direction chain D is driven shaft 0 is rotated in a given directionat all times. The apparatus thus accommodates itself to engines movingin different directions.

The drum F around which the cable G is wound is loosely mounted on theshaft 0 and has conjoined thereto aclutch mechanism of Well-knownconstruction, operated by a lever P, whereby said drum may be fixed tothe shaft or idly rotate thereon, depending upon the position of saidlever. When the chain is being driven to hoist the load at the outer endof cable G, the drum is fixed to the shaft and the derrick-arm swung outto dump the load into the tender of the locomotive. After thederrick-arm is returned a lever Q for operating a band-brake on thehoisting drum is operated to tighten the band, after which thelever Pdisengages the drum F from shaft 0. Brake-lever Q is now manipulated tolower the car-body J down gently onto its truck.

In operation the loaded truck is placed in position under thederrick-arm and the hook at the end of cable G attached to a suitablebail on said car-body. When a locomotive approaches and it is desired toload the ten-' der with coal, the engine either comes to a standstill orslows down, so as to gently engage the block E on the driving-chain. Thelength of travel of block E is predetermined, so that when the car-bodyJis hoisted to the proper height the block falls into the pit over one orthe other sprocket-wheel. The engine,

as before described, engages the nose of its pilot into one of therecesses in the upper face of block E and affords the motive power.

to hoist the load in the car-body J to the proper height, when the blockis thrown into the pit. The engine goes on until its tender is in theproper position, when the derrickarm is then swung out over the tenderand the contents of the car-body J discharged thereinto, after which thederrick arm is swung back into place, the brake applied by lever Q, theclutch released by lever P, and by manipulating lever Q the emptycar-body is deposited on its truck. The empty truck is now removed andthe loaded one placed in position.

By the use of our apparatus a quantity of coal can be hoisted anddischarged into the tender of the locomotive in a very few moments, thussaving considerable time. Of course it is obvious that, while we havementioned coal as the article to be handled, wood, water, or othermaterials can readily be manipulated through our improved hoistingapparatus.

We are aware that other means can be employed for utilizing the motivepower of a locomotive for operating a hoisting apparatus, which meanscan be located at places different from that shown in the drawings, and,further, that many minor .changes in the arrangement, construction, andcombina tion of the several part-s of our apparatus can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a hoisting-drum and its cable, of drivingmechanism for said drum comprising an endless chain passing oversprockets, and a detachable block arranged on said chain and designed tocooperate with a locomotive; substantially as described. v

2. The combination with a hoisting-drum and its cable, of drivingmechanism for said d rum comprising sprocket-wheels and a chain,ratchet-and-pawl mechanism cooperating with said sprocket-wheels, and adetachable block arranged on said chain for cooperating with the pilotof a locomotive; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of abrake therefor, drivingmechanism for said drum, a clutch for engaging and disengaging said drumfrom its driving mechanism, said driving mechanism comprising twosprocket-wheels, an endless chain passing thereover, means coo )eratingwith said sprocket-wheels and the drum whereby motion imparted to saidsprocket-wheels in either direction, will drive said drum in a given direction; and a detachable block arranged on the endless chain forcooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

4:- The combination with shafts G and O, of sprocket-wheels looselymounted thereon, an endless chain passing over said sprockets, ratchetsfixed to said shafts and cooperating with oppositelyarranged pawlssecured to said sprocket-wheels, miter-gearing between said shaftsfor-causing opposite rotation thereof, a drum designed to be driven byone of said shafts; and a detachable block arranged on said endlesschain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with shafts O and C, of a drum loosely mounted on theshaft G, a clutch mechanism for engaging said drum with said shaft,sprockets loosely mounted on said shafts, oppositely-arrangedratchetwheels fixed to the shafts,oppositely-arranged pawls carried bythe sprocket-wheels for cooperating with said ratchets, gearing forrotating said shafts C and O in opposite directions; an endless chain onsaid sprockets, and a detachable block arranged on said chain forcooperating with the pilot of a locomotive substantially as described.

6. The combination with the shafts O and O, ratchetwheels fixed thereto,sprocketwheels loosely mounted on the shafts and carryingoppositely-arranged pawls for cooperating with said ratchet-wheels,housings on said sprocket-wheels for inclosing the pawland-ratchetmechanism, miter-gearing between said shafts for driving them inopposite directions, a hoisting-drum mounted 011 one of said shafts; anendless chain on said sprocket-wheels, and a detachable block arrangedon said chain for cooperating with the pilot of a locomotivesubstantially as described.

7. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of an endless chain for drivingthe same, the pintles of said chain projecting laterally, and aremovable block E cooperating with said chain-pintles'; substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination with a hoisting-drum, of an endless chain for drivingthe same, sprocket-wheels arranged in a pit between track-rails, andover which wheels said chain IIO passes, and a removable block on saidchain designed to cooperate with a locomotive running on the track;substantially as described.

9. The combination with a swinging derrick, of a receptacle J, andguide-rods on the arm of said derrick, said guide-rods also 00-operating with said receptacle; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a swinging derrick, of rods I cooperating witha vessel sus pended by said derrick and holding the same in place, andguide-posts K cooperating with said rods I; substantially as described.

11. The combination with a swinging derrick, of rods I connected to itsarm, guideposts K, a vessel J guided in its vertical movement by saidposts and rods, and a truck for receiving said vessel; substantially asdescribed.

12. The combination with a swinging derrick arranged in juxtaposition toa railwaytrack, guiding-rods on the arm of said dew rick, guide-postscooperating with said rods, a' cable, a truck Whose body portion isdesigned to be lifted by said cable, a hoistingdrum for said cable,mechanism for driving said drum, said mechanism being located in-

